2009 Press Releases
U.S. Consul General’s Visit Highlights U.S. Support to Qalqiliya Businesses
Press Release
June 24, 2009
Jerusalem
QALQILIYA – U.S. Consul General Jake Walles visited Qalqiliya today to meet with local entrepreneurs and Palestinian Authority officials and discuss the role of the private sector in building the Palestinian economy. Walles began his visit with a tour of the Al Hanna Textile factory. The tour highlighted the importance of private sector development in creating jobs for Palestinians, including women. The Consul General later joined Qalqiliya Chamber of Commerce Chairman Walid al-Sabi, Governor of Qalqiliya Rabih al-Khandaqji, and area business leaders at the Chamber of Commerce to discuss opportunities and challenges facing Qalqiliya businesses. Speaking to press during his visit, Walles stated, “private enterprise is the engine of any national economy. We applaud the work of the business community in Qalqiliya to create jobs and build hope for the population here.”
During the Al Hanna Textiles factory tour in Habla village, the Consul General praised the owner, Fatima al-Jada for her vision of parlaying sewing skills that she learned at a local women’s center into a factory that now employs 130 women. Walles stated, “You started with one sewing machine in 1987 and by reinvesting profits, grew into an exporter of quality apparel to the United States and Europe.”
Walles further emphasized the importance of creating a stable environment to attract investment. “As President Obama has made clear, the U.S. will support efforts to build institutions that serve the needs of the Palestinian people.” The Consul General noted that the U.S. Agency for International Development is actively promoting public sector projects in the Qalqiliya area, in including the construction and expansion of five area schools, rehabilitation of water pipes, and technical assistance to municipal offices.
For more information please contact the U.S. Consulate’s Press Office at 02-622-6908 or 02-622-6909 or Acting Public Affairs Officer Christina Higgins at 054-678-8501 or Hassna Dajani at 054-678-8455.
